


While We're Here

by queenoftrivia



Category: Youtube RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Septiplier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-27
Updated: 2015-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-28 11:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5089628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenoftrivia/pseuds/queenoftrivia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark gets a piano lesson from Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	While We're Here

Mark sat on the piano bench next to Jack, a simple tune rising from his fingers and breaking what would have been an awkward silence between them. As the music drifted through the air and cut through the cloud of Mark's thoughts, an idea formed.

"Can you teach me?" Mark asked, and Jack's fingers left the keys, leaving only the small hum of still slightly vibrating strings to break the sudden silence.

"How to play?"

Mark nodded. "I mean, just some of the basics, since we're here," he added, his hand reaching to the back of his head to scratch at it.

"Er, sure. There's a lot to learn if you're just startin' out though, just warning you," Jack clarified. "Did you have anything else planned for today?"

Mark thought for a moment, glancing at the time. He had planned to record himself playing some obscure indie game, but that could wait. He shook his head.

"Good. Hm, where to start..." It was Jack's turn to scratch his head as he thought, and Mark shifted slightly, scooting closer to Jack.

"Okay, so the basics. And, just warning you, I'm gonna be playing these notes as I say them, so pay close attention." Jack stopped for a moment, figuring out where to begin. Eventually, he took a breath, and began his lesson.

"Okay, so there are seven basic note names: C, D, E, F, G, A, and B," he said, playing the corresponding notes as he named them off. "Those are the white notes. The black notes next to the ones I just played are either sharp or flat, depending on where they are in relation to the white notes. Sharp equals higher, flat equals lower. For example: this note here," he played a black note, "can either be called C sharp or D flat. Got that?"

When Jack finally glanced over at Mark, he found the nerd writing notes down in his notepad. Smiling as Mark hummed an affirmative, he continued.

"This," Jack played a few notes, "is an octave. Oct equals eight. So there are eight keys in any given octave. There's a certain pattern to it, but you want basics. In the octave I just played, which is C," he repeated the notes once again, "there are no black notes. However: if you play D," he repeated the same tune, but a whole note higher, "as you can see, you'll hit black notes. Still with me?"

Jack cast a glance over at Mark's notes and discovered that the entire page was filled with little notes. There was also a little doodle of an octave. A grin formed on his face.

"Nice drawing," he commented off-handedly, and Mark sputtered out a thanks. Jack's grin grew wider, and he continued.

"So, the next thing that you're gonna want to learn about if you want to play a song is chords. You know about harmonies and shit, right?" Mark nodded. "Well, what you're essentially doing is playing chords with your voice when you're harmonizing. So, let's say you play a C." Jack played the appropriate note. "Now, if you go four half-notes up and play that note," he said, playing another key, "it works out. Then go three half notes more," he played all three notes, "and there you have your basic major chord. Go ahead and try it."

Mark's right hand moved up to the keys and let his wrist rest on the piano, and before he could do a single thing, Jack stopped him, taking his hand in his own.

"Close. Now, you know how you type, right? With your wrist up above the keyboard?" Mark nodded. "Well, pianos are just a different kind of keyboard. So," Jack moved his wrist up off of the piano and moved his fingers down to stay on the keys, "that's how you play."

Mark placed his fingers somewhere near where Jack's were and pressed down, and the sound made the both of them cringe. Jack snickered for a moment before saying, "Let me explain to you a thing.

"So each key is a half-note away from the key before. If you count whole notes, that's two keys. Weird, I know," he said when Mark raised an eyebrow, "but that's just how it is. Try again."

Mark placed his hand on the keyboard again and counted four keys away, then three keys, and pressed down. A chord drifted through the air, and Mark found himself smiling.

"Good! Glad you're a fast learner." Mark's grin spread.

Jack played a different set of notes. "How does this chord make you feel in comparison to the one you just played?" he asked, and Mark looked at the keys, thinking.

"The first one was... happier."

"Perfect! So this chord," Jack played the first group of notes, "is a major chord. This one," he played the more recent group, "is minor. Major is happy, minor is sad. Got it?" Mark nodded, noting it down.

"Now, look at this:" Jack played the major chord, then the minor chord, and Mark noticed that the only finger that moved was his middle one. "All you have to do to change a major chord to a minor chord is shift the keys you count from four then three to three then four. Make sense?" Jack paused to watch Mark jot something down in his notes. When he looked back up, Jack couldn't help but smile at the wonder in Mark's eyes. He looked like he was glowing, almost.

He turned back to the piano to continue his lesson. "Your turn," he said, and a thought crossed his mind as Mark played the chords.

"Any particular songs you'd like to learn?" he asked when Mark finished, taking his phone out of his pocket.

"Uhh... no, not really. Something simple."

"I've got just the thing," Jack said, eagerly searching for the chords to one of his favorite songs. "You know Can't Help Falling in Love? It's by Elvis."

"How could I not know about that song," Mark retorted. As Jack waited for the page to load, Mark thought of the lyrics, and laughed lightly. Jack glanced over and raised an eyebrow.

"What're you laughing about, Fishbach?"

Mark winked. "You gonna serenade me, Sean?" he asked jokingly, his voice dropping at least an octave. Jack swatted his arm and Mark's laughter grew.

"You said simple, I'm givin' you simple. Now, if you want to play this piece, there's one more thing I've gotta tell you," he said, passing his phone to Mark before readying his hand above the keys. "So if you look at these chords above the lyrics to the song, that's when you play. There's two chords you'll see in the bridge here," he zoomed in for Mark and pointed to a chord, "that seems unfamiliar, doesn't it? That's a B7. There's a technicality and some more vocabulary to explain what a seventh chord is, but you don't really need to know it to play it. All you have to do is play a regular chord," he played a B, "and move your thumb a whole step down." He did so, and the sound that came out was different, but still beautiful. "You try."

Mark placed Jack's phone on the piano stand and played the chord. Jack not-so-sarcastically put his hand on his heart and faked a sniffle, using his other hand to wipe away an imaginary tear.

"I feel so proud of you," he said, his voice cracking in mock emotion. Mark couldn't take it anymore and burst with giggles, and Jack did too, laughter filling the room.

After calming down a bit, Mark glanced at the screen, and played a C.

Jack looked on as Mark played each chord, one by one, directing him when he couldn't figure out certain chords. Within an hour, Mark had the chords down perfectly, and he began humming the tune along with the music. Jack showed him how to play the bass to add "layers", and he experimented a little, playing each note by itself and creating a much softer version of the song.

At one point, he sang the song the whole way through without mistakes. As Jack listened to the American's voice, he began swaying to the beat of the song, letting the sound overtake him as he closed his eyes.

" _Wise men say_  
_'Only fools rush_ _in',_  
_But I can't help falling in love with you._  
_Shall I stay?_  
_Would it be a sin,_  
_if I can't help falling in love with you?_  
_Like a river flows,_  
_surely to the sea,_  
_Darling, so it goes, some things are meant to be...._  
_Take my hand,_  
_Take my whole life too;_  
_for I can't help falling in love with you._ "

He listened to the words, and realized that Mark wasn't really just singing. He was _serenading_. Serenading Jack, to be exact. Jack expected to be at least a little put off by the idea, but instead found himself blushing slightly and realized that no, he would love to be serenaded by this man.

All too soon, the song ended, and Mark stopped playing for the first time in hours. Jack opened his eyes and looked over at the man next to him. A light blush dusted both of their faces as they locked eyes, and an overwhelming urge to lean in and close the gap between them punched Jack in the face.

Apparently, the same thing happened to Mark, because there suddenly wasn't a gap between them for him to fill. Mark's lips were soft and made Jack feel warm all over, and his hand reached up to caress the other's jaw as they kissed. Time seemed to stop as they sat there. The apocalypse could've happened and it wouldn't have made a single difference. Jack felt happy; happier than he'd ever been before. He smiled into the kiss, and his smile grew when he felt Mark do the same.

After a time that somehow felt like both five hours and two seconds, they disconnected slightly, their eyes still closed. They pressed their foreheads together and opened their eyes, their smiles only seeming to grow. Jack started giggling a little, and Mark's deeper chuckle joined his, creating a melody of joy that only grew stronger with every passing second. Jack pulled Mark in for another kiss, and as they connected again, they realized they were both out of breath from laughter, but they didn't care. Mark pulled the Irishman closer and sucked a little on his bottom lip before giggling again, sending oddly warm chills to Jack's spine. They couldn't stop laughing as they kissed, and they were both gasping for breath, but it felt like they were finally home, in each other's arms, and nothing could have possibly pulled them apart.


End file.
